While-in-use covers are well known in the industry and are used to provide an enclosed housing for electrical devices such as electrical receptacles, ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI), pushbuttons and switches. While-in-use covers can be installed over electrical devices without having to turn off the device and disconnect the wiring. This makes while-in-use covers convenient and easy to use. The purpose of the cover is primarily to prevent dust, water, and other foreign materials from entering the receptacle. It is of particular importance to prevent rain water from entering the electrical device in order to reduce the risk of short circuits, fire and damage to the device and the electrical system connected to it.
The previous while-in-use covers provide protection against water and dust but they are not versatile enough to be used for a broad range of applications. These while-in-use covers are often too small to house large plugs, for example, when a power cord that is plugged into a receptacle requires a converter plug. Moreover, the existing while-in-use covers provide fixed size enclosures and one cover cannot be used for a variety of applications. Further, electrical wire comes in different gauges with larger diameter wire having a larger bend radius than smaller diameter wire. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a while-in-use cover that is adjustable and can expand to accommodate a variety of different size plugs and wire bend radii. It is also desirable to provide a while-in-use cover that can collapse or shrink in size when not in use or when its full extension is not required.